Your Guide to Cooking with CBD Oil
It isn’t just a fad - CBD oil in the kitchen is here to stay, and that’s because people are realizing that plain old EVOO is just plain boring! We’re kidding - we love Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but we love CBD oil too.
In the last few years, more and more chefs - from novices and newbies to the veteran Wolfgang Pucks of the kitchen - are cooking with CBD oil. There’s no greater way to incorporate cannabinoid into your life than by bringing it into your diet - and we too think this is a fun and engaging way to bring some flare into the kitchen.
But before you start whipping up stir fry with CBD oil, you need to know that it’s different from other cooking oils, like avocado oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil or olive oil. In this guide we’ll explain the rules of cooking with this versatile oil, and we hope at the end you’re a little bit more aware of its benefits and also how to use it.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is derived from the hemp plant, which, compared to its well-known cousin marijuana, contains very little THC. If you didn’t know already, THC is a psychoactive compound - and it’s what makes people feel high. CBD contains 0.3% or less THC and some CBD products contain no THC whatsoever. In other words: cooking with CBD oil doesn’t mean you're going to get high while making a delicious dish for yourself or your family.
Health Benefits of CBD Oil
According to a plethora of scientific studies available, cannabidiol has therapeutic perks. It can potentially help with stress and anxiety; it’s also known to have anti-inflammatory properties. Anecdotal evidence has shown CBD may have the potential to help with chronic pain, migraines and even seizures.
Can You Cook with CBD Oil?
Yes. You can cook with CBD oil - but you can’t cook everything, and in the next few sections we’re going to explain what we mean by that.
Cooking with cannabis extract, aka CBD oil, is all about infusing the food so that you can literally eat the potential health benefits. The good thing is, more often than not, using this oil doesn’t change the taste, flavor or consistency of your recipes - at least not significantly.
So, What can you Actually Make With CBD Oil?
There are a ton of things you can make with CBD oil: baked goods, soup, salad, sauces - you can even use it when making coffee or smoothies. Lots of delicious plates can be made with CBD oil. Here’s a recipe for a mango smoothie made with CBD oil - it’s not only delicious, it’s also packed with potential health benefits.
Will Heat Destroy CBD?
Yes. It will. But let’s talk about why.
There’s one major precaution to take when cooking with CBD oil: don’t give it direct heat. CBD oil doesn’t pair well with hot temperatures, and that’s because, CBD oil, like a lot of vegetable oils, oxidizes quickly when it gets warm. This leads to your food having a bitter, nasty taste. So, the trick is to avoid direct heat, and instead look for recipes where you can bake or add the oil in cold. Most people think cooking with CBD means stir frying veggies or frying an egg - but this simply isn’t so.
In addition to ruining your dinner, heating CBD oil may take away any of the health benefits that come from it. That’s why it’s not even recommended to sautee with CBD oil. In fact, directly exposing CBD to temperatures more than 350º Fahrenheit might just ruin it altogether. And since most people cook with CBD oil in order to derive potential health benefits from its use, taking those potential health benefits away doesn’t really benefit anyone.
No-Heat CBD Recipes
Even better than cooking with it, CBD oil is an excellent finishing oil - add it to your salads, drizzle it on your veggies, toss it with sesame, sunflower and cranberry for a delectable topping. It’s also an excellent oil for making salad dressings. Here’s a recipe for strawberry vinaigrette dressing that uses CBD oil.
Using it as a finishing oil will give you all of the potential health benefits available, while allowing the taste to get through and your palate to scream “Yum!”
What are other examples of no-heat dishes? Think: guacamole, salad, and cold deserts like mango over cold sticky rice.
Of course, cooking with CBD is excellent too - just as long as the oil isn’t heated alone. One way to use CBD oil is in baked goods - and that’s because, in the oven, the heat makes its way through all of the food. Only when heated directly does the taste become bitter and the potential health benefits spoil. Here’s an excellent recipe for dark chocolate and nut cookies that incorporate CBD oil, which, in this recipe they call, THC oil.
Tips for Cooking with CBD Oil
Our number one suggestion is to use high-quality, organic CBD oil. If you can find CBD oil with a certificate of authenticity, that’s excellent too.
The second most important thing to know, and we said it above as well, is that CBD oil should not be directly heated. We’re reiterating this because of how important it is. Heating CBD oil directly will lead to bitter tasting food and a lack of any of the potential health benefits you were trying to incorporate CBD oil into your diet for in the first place.
Also, your CBD Oil should be food-grade.
It’s also important to know this: CBD works best when recipes have fat content. You can mix a few drops of avocado oil or coconut oil in with the CBD oil, then add the mixture to your salad for a uniquely yummy meal packed with potential health benefits. Don’t be afraid to mix oils, this adds a delicious element to your cuisine.
How to Store CBD Oil
When dealing with food ingredients,storage is always important. This is also true of CBD oil. For the most part, CBD oil will come in a blue or amber bottle - this color was chosen on purpose in a move to lengthen the life of your oil. These colors are able to filter light, which would otherwise degrade the oil and risk the chance of losing cannabinoids. Your home’s pantry is the perfect place to keep your oils - and that’s because your pantry is likely cool, dry and dark.
Always remember to tightly close the top of your CBD oil - and keep it away from the oven or stove. That’s because ambient heat, light, and exposure to air will have an affect on your CBD oil.
About Sonny’s Wellness
While we’re talking about food, we figured we’d introduce you to one of our top selling products: our French Vanilla CBD Coffee Drops. But first, let us introduce ourselves. Sonny’s Wellness is committed to bringing you quality CBD products that help you live a healthy, productive, sustainable life. We’re also committed to a sustainable environment; our products and packaging are made with recyclable glass, compostable labels with plant-based ink, on 100% recycled paper.
French Vanilla Coffee Drops
A sweet, but subtle take on French Vanilla Coffee. Made with all-natural flavors and sweetened with a natural stevia extract. Natural Coconut (MCT) Oil base, infused with 99% pure CBD Isolate. A guaranteed THC-free product. It is the perfect addition to any morning, day, or nighttime routine. Try adding to your favorite cup of coffee for great flavor and fast-acting effect, or enjoy it on its own!
Facts:
- 750mg CBD
- 30 servings/bottle
- 99% pure CBD Isolate
- THC-free
- Made in the USA
- Cruelty-free
- Gluten-free
- GMO-free
- Approved for travel
- 100% legal
- Natural flavors
- Naturally sweetened
- Third-Party Lab Tested for potency and quality
- Easy and accurate dosing
- Eco-friendly bottle
- Compostable label
Ingredients:
Natural Coconut Oil (MCT), Natural Coffee Flavor, Natural Cream Flavor, Natural Vanilla flavor, Naturally derived CBD Isolate, Natural Stevia extract.
*The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your health care professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires this notice.